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In Trump’s America, Muslim women are already too afraid to wear the hijab

During his presidential campaign, Donald Trump was frequently and unapologetically Islamophobic. He often failed to draw any real distinction between radical Islamic extremism and ordinary Muslims, declared that “Islam hates us”, insinuated that Muslim women were not allowed to speak by their husbands, and called for a “total shutdown of Muslims entering the United States”.

It was on the basis of this divisive rhetoric that Trump emerged victorious from the presidential race on Tuesday night. And now, American Muslim women are taking to social media to express their fears about life in Trump’s America.

On Twitter, many women have been describing how they no longer feel safe wearing the hijab in public.

Guys, a trump supporter tried pulling off my hijab... This is not a joke anymore, all non-whites have become targets. Stay safe 💕

Two Muslim American women have reported two separate incidents to police after being attacked in the aftermath of Trump’s victory, the Washington Post reports. On Wednesday, a Muslim student at San Diego State University was robbed and may have had her car stolen by two men who made comments about Trump and Muslims.

The right to wear the hijab – or any other religious symbol – is enshrined in the Second Amendment, which states: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

However, until Trump condemns the rise in Islamophobic hate crime and non-Muslims start speaking out whenever they see or hear Muslims being abused, many hijabi women might find that to be of little comfort.